The National InfraGard Program began as a pilot project in 1996, when the Cleveland FBI Field Office asked local computer security professionals to assist the FBI in determining how to better protect critical information systems in the public and private sectors. From this new partnership, the first InfraGard Chapter was formed to address both cyber and physical threats. Presidential Decision Directive 63, signed May 22, 1998, directed the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) to serve as a national critical infrastructure threat assessment, warning, vulnerability, law enforcement investigation, and response entity. As part of its mission, the NIPC conducts outreach and information sharing with the public and private-sector owners and operators of critical infrastructures. The National InfraGard Program is now an essential part of NIPC's outreach efforts. The Program establishes a mechanism for two-way information sharing about intrusion incidents and system vulnerabilities and provides a channel for the NIPC to disseminate analytical threat products to the private sector. The NIPC is now working with representatives from private industry, the academic community, and the public sector, to form local InfraGard Chapters.